A Father's Hope
by Haeztiger
Summary: The sequel to A Mother's Love. This time Zuba gets the spotlight! Review after you read! OneShot


My second OneShot! This is the sequel to A Mother's Love! This time Zuba's POV! I checked it many times for errors. I think I got 60% right... Anyway enjoy reading!

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Dusk invaded the savannah just as dawn did. The sunset caused the skies to bleed red color. The animals took that as a sign to go back home. The birds flew back to their nests, the zebras galloped back to their herding ground while the hippos sank half of their faces in the water. The giraffes gathered, keeping their distance so nobody gets pushed.

The lions were getting ready to have dinner. Each family went to their respective rock or cave, sitting side by side with their family. The male lions were the first to take the first bite. After that, the lionesses and the cubs could take their part. Each family should have at least one prey for dinner except for Zuba's family.

"Okay, let's eat!" Alakay was getting ready to eat after seeing his father already chewing his food.

"Alright baby, but down chew to fast or you'll bite you're tongue," advised Florrie, "I got that fish just for you."

Both Florrie and Zuba understand that Alakay didn't want to eat other animals. Fish was the only animal he ate now. Florrie got those fishes from a near by river. It was hard to hunt for them but she would do anything to make her son happy.

Alakay ate one fish, he slowly remove the fish bone from his mouth. The fishes here tasted a little different from the fishes in Madagascar. These are fresh water fishes and he ate seawater fishes in Madagascar.

"Something wrong Alakay?" Florrie asked Alakay who was chewing very slowly.

"No, nothing's wrong..." Alakay didn't want to upset his mother if he complained about the fish.

"Well let's change the subject. How was you're day, dear?" Zuba entered the conversation.

"My day?" Florrie started, "It was good. Me and the other lionesses went hunting as usual. We talked a bit and gossiped a little."

"Okay, how about you Alakay?" Zuba turned to Alakay who was still savoring his meal, "How was your first day as co-alpha lion?"

The lions announced Zuba and Alakay to be the alpha-lions. Zuba was in charge of battle training, hunting duties and pride control while Alakay as co-alpha lion was in charge of cub duties, and party and ceremony planning. Alakay was fine with the party planning stuff but cub duties? He wasn't good with children. He never had experience with children.

"Um, uh- It was fine I guess," Alakay struggled for an answer, "The cubs ware a little bit rough with me... hehe"

Alakay remembered his first day as co-alpha lion. He was in charge to take care of all the cubs while their mothers went hunting. The cubs were cute and innocent when Alakay came to their playing area. However, as soon as the last lioness turns her back, the cubs turned into devils.

They started pouncing on Alakay and biting his tail. Alakay screamed in pain and fell, lying on his back. He was pinned to the ground with all the cubs holding his arms and legs. Than a little cute angel like boy cub climbed on his chest with his arms behind his back. Clearly, he was holding something in his arms. He then revealed a ruby red pepper in his paw. Alakay was too scared to think what they are going to do to him with that pepper.

The angle like cub suddenly grew horns on his head. He then stuck the pepper in Alakay's mouth and climbed back down off his chest.

Alakay suddenly felt a slight tingling in his mouth. He felt a sudden raise of temperature in his throat. The sensation started growing stronger and stronger by the second. The next thing he knew, his eyes started swelling and watering.

"Arrrghhhhhhh!!!" a screamed was heard through out the savannah. Alakay's head sunk in a pond while the cubs were laughing their heads off seeing the funny lion.

That was the most embarrassing day of his lion life. More embarrassing than the time he got caught sucking his thumb while sleeping by the zoo animals. At this time, he wished that he had his foofy. "Fine? Is that all you got to say?" Zuba's voice entered his flash back.

"Uh- what?" Alakay returned to reality. He shook his head to get rid of the pieces of memories in his head.

"Fine then. If nobody wants to talk about their day then fine," Zuba gave up and continued eating.

The dinner continued in silent. Everyone had their minds wandering off somewhere. Alakay was thinking about his bad day, Florrie was remembering the sweet days and Zuba...

Zuba was regretting. Regretting the day he lost Alakay. Regretting the fact that he wasn't strong enough to save him. Regretting everything he had done. Zuba glanced at Alakay. He was still savoring his fish.

"Fish?" he thought, "Since when do lions eat fish?"

Alakay wasn't the ideal son he had wished for. He wanted a strong, fierce and dedicated lion that he could look up to. But when he looked at Alakay, the only thing he found was an immature, lovable lion in front of him. If only... If only he had been more careful with Alakay. If only he hadn't fought with Makunga that day. If only he had more time to be with Alakay, then maybe Alakay would become his ideal son.

But no. There was no need to blame the past. There was no need to blame Makunga. The only thing he can do was to accept Alakay for who he is.

Dinner ended in silence, Florrie cleaned up the left over bones and got Alakay ready for bed. Zuba and Florrie got to Alakay's side of the rock; they wanted to tuck Alakay in.

"Goodnight Alakay," Florrie placed a kiss on his forehead, "Have a nice dream."

Florrie finished with an "I love you". Then it was Zuba's turn.

"Umm... dad," Alakay glanced his father's round green eyes.

"Yeah, Alakay? What's the matter?" Zuba questioned, noticing Alakay's sad face.

"A-are you proud of me?" he answered his father's question with a question.

"Of course I'm proud of you, son," Zuba answered with a smile, "I've always been proud of you."

"Even with my dancing and stuff," Alakay looked down and frowned.

"Especially with your dancin'," Zuba then lifted Alakay's head. "And do you know what were the proudest moments of my life?"

Alakay shook his head slowly and readied himself to the up coming answer.

"The proudest moments of my life was the day you were born," Zuba looked into his son's sapphire eyes, "The day when you opened you're eyes for the first time, the day you started walking and the day you called me "dad"... Those were the proudest moments of my life."

A tear appeared in Alakay's eyes and it slowly flowed down his face, "Daddy..."

Alakay hugged his dad, silently crying tears of joy.

Zuba returned the embrace and rubbed his son's back, "Aww... C'mon now. Stop cyin'. You're a big lion now."

Alakay let go of his father and returned to his bed, wiping the tears on his face.

"Goodnight Alakay," Zuba tucked his son in, placed his kiss on Alakay's forehead and squished the firefly that kept the place lighted; "I love you."

"Love you too," Alakay closed his eyes, hugging his foofy.

Zuba went to his side of the rock and lay beside his wife who was already asleep. Zuba wasn't expecting for that question to came out. Nevertheless, everything he said back there was true. He was wrong to think that Alakay wasn't his ideal child. He shouldn't think about the little things and regretting the past. He should be happy that Alakay was alive and he had time to be with him.

"I'm sorry, Alakay," he thought to himself, little by little dozing off into sleep, "Whatever you'll be and whatever you'll do... I will always be proud of you, no matter what..."

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